Cottin et Desgouttes l’Avion de la Route Vintage Poster by Jean d’Ylen – 1926

Cottin et Desgouttes l’Avion de la Route Vintage Poster by Jean d’Ylen – 1926

This is a superb reproduction of a French automobile poster. It was created by the prolific poster artist Jean D’Ylen in 1926 for Automobiles Cottin & Desgouttes. The poster features the Cottin & DesgouttesType M model with an angel overseeing the car’s journey. Several aeroplanes can be seen flying around in the sky. The aircraft reinforce the strrapline beneath the company name that reads ‘L’Avion de la Route” which translates in to English as “The Airplane of the Roads”. The car itself was  nicknamed the Torpedo. The car was small, fast and very economical. It became the company’s greatest success. 

Automobiles Cottin et Desgouttes were manufacturers of luxury automobiles and sports cars and the beginning of the twentieth century. The company was set up in 1906 by Pierre Desgouttes and Cyrille Cottin.

The company’s first success was a four-cylinder 24/40hp automobile that was featured at the Salon de Paris in 1905. The car contained  many innovative features and enjoyed huge success.

An article on the cottindesgouettes website writes, ‘Between 1906 and 1914, most of the production was devoted to four-cylinder models.

If successful, taking part in car races was a  great way to gain much needed publicity for a manufacturing company and its vehicles. Cottin & Desgouttes reputation was growing following its success in many car racing competitions.

In 1906 engineer Auguste Fraignac entered the Mount Verdun hillclimb race in a Cottin & Desgouttes, taking first place in the cars category. Georges Deydier continued the company’s success achieving first place in 1907, 1911 and 1912. Between 1907 and 1914, Cottin & Desgouttes achieved a total of 23 hill climb competition wins. Many of which were entered and won by Cottin himself.

In 1907 Cottin et Desgouttes produced a two and a half litre 12hp model that was so popular with the public that it was produced without any major changes for more than four years. In 1913, were producing close to 450 cars a year with a staff of 300 employees. An excellent rate given that the average for the era would be one car per year per employee.

Cottin et Desgouttes were keen advocates of advertising in magazines and newspapers and using advertising posters to highlight different stages of the companys growth, success and new models.  This superb vintage car poster was created in 1926 by the well-known poster artist Jean D’Ylen. Originally a jewellery designer, D’Ylen became a full-time poster designer in 1919.

He signed an exclusive contract with Pierre Vercasson. The Vercasson company was both an advertising agency and a colour poster printers. It is best known for its series of Leonetto Cappiello posters that they printed. A look at the designs ot the many posters each artist created, and it becomes obvious that D’Ylen admired and was inspired by Cappiello.

In 1922, the Type M was introduced, a small and very economical car that became the company’s greatest success. As a late consequence of the world economic crisis, the company finally ended its activities in 1933.

Our posters are carefully and professionally created from vintage originals. Whilst great care is taken in the production of these posters, we also try to maintain a vintage feel, so there may be small imperfections, fold marks, scuffs, tears, or marks that were part of the original poster master. If these do appear they should be visible on the larger views of the item on this listing. The originals of many of the posters we offer can cost many thousands of pounds, so whilst these posters look great, especially framed and mounted on a wall, they are intended as fun, affordable reproductions and not intended fine art prints.

The 50x70cm version has been specially produced to be used in conjunction with Ikea’s 50x70cm Ribba picture frame which currently retails for around £12. So you can bag a bargain of print and poster for just £22.